Held over three days, the Australian Country Football Carnival
is a biennial competition that brings together players from four
states and both territories.
In the top division, it will be a high-standard competition as
Victoria's No. 1 team — made up of players from major leagues
— takes on Western Australia, South Australia, the ACT and
NSW. The Vics are defending champions and will again start
favourites after securing the services of Essendon legend Terry
Daniher as coach.
Victoria's second team, consisting of players from minor
leagues, is the reigning titleholder in division two, where it will
do battle with an Aboriginal All-Stars side and Queensland.
While the Vics are expected to again be the strongest outfit, an
expatriate Victorian, well known to footy fans in the north-east,
is aiming to upset the old order. And he knows a bit about
winning.
Stephen Daniel coached Seymour to the 2005 and 2006 premierships
in the Goulburn Valley league. Now he is preparing for a return to
the scene of his triumphs, this time as coach of the Queensland
representative team, known as the Stockmen.
The appointment has capped an 18-month introduction to
football's frontier that has been interesting to say the least.
Daniel turned to coaching when a car accident ended his playing
career in his early 20s. He took on his first senior position when
just 23 and worked through the ranks, eventually securing the top
job at VFL club Northern Bullants. He departed for Seymour in 2004
and after the two premierships, the first an extraordinary
come-from-behind victory over Euroa, he contemplated a return to
elite football.
Following a number of interviews, he was offered a job with the
AFL in Queensland, working under development manager Rick Hanlon.
Keen on a change of scenery, the 40-year-old accepted, moving to
Cairns with his wife and kids.
"I suppose I was your typical self-centred Victorian and didn't
really know much about what happens outside Victoria," Daniel said.
"But since I've been up here it's been a real eye-opener."
Most of Daniel's work focuses on running the Australian Rules
program at Djarragun College, a school attended by 550 indigenous
children.
But his biggest challenge has involved spreading the AFL's
healthy living message throughout Aboriginal communities between
Cairns and Cape York.
"Until you see it, people have got no idea the way the kids are
and the way they're brought up," Daniel explained. "The assaults,
the drugs, the alcohol. The way they live in the communities is
just appalling really. Not enough people know. It's really opened
my eyes to what goes on, here in Australia. We don't get to hear
and see much about it down in Victoria."
Despite the devastating scenes he has witnessed, Daniel remains
adamant football can drive positive change.
"I go out to a lot of the homes and literally drag the kids out
of bed to get them along to school and to get them to participate
in footy," he said. "It is certainly a huge carrot that we've got.
They love their sport and that's how we get them to school.
"The AFL is that far ahead of rugby league in the way they set
up their programs. Having myself full-time out at the school is a
big thing. The other codes don't have full-time people at these
schools yet."
More than 100 of the students at Djarragun College are boarders,
who have come down from the communities. Many are part of an
under-16 team coached by Daniel, which plays in the Cairns junior
competition every Friday night. Such has been the progress of three
players, they have been offered scholarships by the Brisbane
Lions.
On weekends, Daniel's life is a bit more like what he was used
to back home. He is now into his second season as coach of the
South Cairns Cutters in the strong local league, dominated by
players from Victoria.
After making the preliminary final last year, South Cairns was
among the favourites for the premiership until a disastrous outing
against Manunda Hawks two weeks ago. On top of a 31-point defeat,
the Cutters lost leading goalkicker Marcus McMillan, a former
Yarrawonga star, to a broken arm. Fellow forward Patrick Rattray,
recruited from Seymour, also went down with a knee injury that
required a reconstruction.
With such talent now on the sidelines, the chances of South
Cairns claiming the flag have all but evaporated. This was
reflected last weekend when the Cutters were thumped by
third-placed Port Douglas. Yet the loss has not tarnished Daniel's
impressive work since arriving in the sunshine state. He now wants
to repay AFL Queensland's faith, by leading the Stockmen to glory
this week.
The appointment of Daniel and the make-up of the Queensland
squad certainly demonstrate the strength of footy in Cairns. Of the
24 players selected, 10 are from clubs based in and around the
tourism capital.
Not surprisingly many are Victorians who moved to escape the
winter chill. Among those travelling south to play against their
home state will be country boys Gareth Hose, formerly of Beulah,
and James Coatsworth (ex-Wycheproof).
However, there are some genuine Queenslanders in the squad,
including ruckman Andrew Browning, who grew up in Bundaberg, and
centre Blake Passfield, who spent his formative years in Hervey
Bay.
The Stockmen begin their campaign against the Aboriginal
All-Stars on Friday morning.
Following that 50-minute encounter, they'll tackle Victoria's
second side. If they win both games, the reward is a clash with the
fifth-placed team from division one. Toppling one of the big boys
would really prove a point.
"If I can do that for the first time in the history of
Queensland footy, we're there," Daniel said. "If I can pull that
one off I'll be a very excited man."
By Adam McNicol
Article first appeared The Sunday Age, July 19, 2008
Media Articles 
BEGINNING on Thursday, some of the nation's finest grassroots
footballers will strut their stuff in the Goulburn Valley.
